American millennials, Gen Z lack basic Holocaust knowledge, survey shows

But most believe it is important to teach the Holocaust so it doesn't happen again

But most believe it is important to teach the Holocaust so it doesn't happen again

ANNIVERSARY OF THE LIBERATION OF THE AUSCHWITZ CONCENTRATION CAMP IN JANUARY, WE’RE TAKING A LOOK AT THE KNOWLEDGE THAT PEOPLE HAVE OR DON’T HAVE OF THE HOLOCAUST. YEAH. THE CONFERENCE OF JEWISH MATERIAL CLAIMS AGAINST GERMANY DID RESEARCH IN ALL 50 STATES ON WHAT MILLENNIALS AND GEN Z KNOW. AND IN CALIFORNIA, 37% COULD NOT NAME A CONCENTRATION CAMP OR GHETTO, 53% DID NOT KNOW WHAT AUSCHWITZ WAS, AND 13% BELIEVE THAT THE -- CAUSED THE HOLOCAUST. THE MAJORITY BELIEVE TEACHING ABOUT THE HOLOCAUST IS IMPORTANT, AND MANY STATES AND HIGH SCHOOLS IN THIS HAD HIGH SCORES IN THE SURVEY. SO YOU CAN SEE HOW OTHER STATES SCORED ON OUR WEBSITE AT KCRA.COM. JUST SCAN THE QR CODE ON YOUR SCREEN TO SEE HOW OF ALL THOSE STATES ARE SCORING. NOW THE SURVEY ALSO SHOWS HOW TIMELY OUR LATEST KCRA 3 DOCUMENTARY IS. IT REALLY IS. AND FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS, KCRA 3’S DEIRDRE FITZPATRICK HAS BEEN WORKING ON ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROJECTS THAT OUR STATE HAS EVER PUT TOGETHER. AND SO SUNDAY NIGHT YOU’RE GOING TO SEE THAT PROJECT. IT’S GOING TO AIR RIGHT HERE. IT’S A STORY OF TWO REMARKABLE WOMEN WHO SURVIVED THE HOLOCAUST. AND THEY CONTINUE TO GO BACK TO THE VERY CAMP WHERE SO MANY PEOPLE PERISHED IN ORDER TO TELL THEIR STORY. SO DEIRDRE IS HERE, RIGHT NOW. LIVE WITH US TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT. SO IT’S CALLED ALWAYS REMEMBER YOUR NAME. AND WE’VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT SO MUCH HERE. WE UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MEANS. BUT TELL EVERYONE ELSE WHAT THIS MEANS. YEAH. SO THE CONNECTION IS THE CONNECTION WE HAD TO THE STORY WAS ANDRE BUCCI, ONE OF THE BUCCI SISTERS. ANDRE AND TATIANA BUCCI ACTUALLY LIVES HERE NOW. SHE MOVED HERE ABOUT SIX YEARS AGO, ALWAYS REMEMBER YOUR NAME IS SOMETHING THAT THE GIRLS MOTHER TOLD THEM WHILE THEY WERE IN AUSCHWITZ, WHICH OF COURSE WOULD HAVE BEEN A TREMENDOUS ACT OF BRAVERY. SO REMEMBER, THE PEOPLE AT AUSCHWITZ WERE TATTOOED WITH A NUMBER BASICALLY STRIPPED OF THEIR IDENTITY, BUT THEIR MOTHER SOMEHOW KNEW THAT BECAUSE HER GIRLS WERE FOUR AND SIX YEARS OLD AT THE TIME, THAT IT WOULD BE CRITICAL THAT THEY COULD REMEMBER THEIR NAMES BECAUSE THE THING IS THAT KIDS AT THAT YOUNG ACTUALLY CAN FORGET THEIR NAMES IF THEY’RE NOT USED. SO THE MOTHER, THE SISTERS MOTHER TOLD THEM EVERY NIGHT, YOU TELL EACH OTHER GOOD NIGHT, ANDRE. GOOD NIGHT. TATIANA, WITH THEIR LAST NAME THAT THEY WERE IN AUSCHWITZ AND SO AFTER THE WAR, PEOPLE WERE REUNITED BY LISTS OF NAMES THAT WERE PUBLISHED IN NEWSPAPERS. THE GIRLS WERE SEVEN AND NINE WHEN THEIR PARENTS WERE ABLE TO FIND THEM ON ONE OF THOSE LISTS, AND THEY FOUND THEM BECAUSE THEY KNEW THEIR NAMES. THE FORETHOUGHT THAT GIVE YOU CHILLS. DOUG OSE. YEAH, JUST THE FACT THAT THE MOM THOUGHT TO DO THAT, TO TELL THEM THAT HAVE EVEN KNOWN HOW IMPORTANT THAT WOULD BE TO PUT THAT IN THERE. AND IT WAS SO IMPORTANT, IT SAVED THEIR LIVES. LOS ANGELES SO PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, YOU HEAR ABOUT THE HOLOCAUST, YOU IMMEDIATELY THINK DEATH AND JUST A SAD STORY, BUT THERE’S ACTUALLY A LOT OF HOPE TO THIS STORY THAT IS, I THINK WHAT PEOPLE WILL FIND SO SURPRISING IS HOW HOPEFUL THEY ARE ALL THESE YEARS LATER. SO THIS IS HOW I’VE DESCRIBED THIS PROJECT TO PEOPLE OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS. IT’S A STORY OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY. IT’S THAT MOTHER’S INSTINCT. IT’S MOMENTS OF KINDNESS FROM VERY UNLIKELY PEOPLE. SIGMUND FREUD’S DAUGHTER STEPS IN AT ONE POINT AND PLAYS A ROLE NOT ONLY IN JUST THEIR SURVIVAL, BUT IN HELPING THESE GIRLS WORK THROUGH TRAUMA, REGAIN A CHILDHOOD, AND THEN GROW TO BE 80 YEAR OLD WOMEN WHO HAVE LIVED VERY HAPPY LIVES. THEY ULTIMATELY WERE REUNITED WITH BOTH OF THEIR PARENTS BECAUSE THEY KNEW THEIR NAMES, AND THE MAJORITY OF JEWISH CHILDREN WHO WERE DEPORTED TO THOSE CAMPS DIDN’T SURVIVE. AND IF THEY DID, IT WAS EXTRAORDINARILY RARE TO BE REUNITED, REUNITED WITH ONE PARENT, LET ALONE BOTH OF THEIR PARENTS, WHO HAD BEEN IN SEPARATE CAMPS. IT’S A STUNNING BLESSING IN THAT, ISN’T IT? YEAH, AND I REMEMBER YOU KNOW, IN HIGH SCHOOL, WE DEFINITELY READ THE DIARY OF A YOUNG GIRL, THE ANNE FRANK DIARY, IF YOU WILL, AND YOU’VE GOT ALL THOSE MOVIES THAT CAN REALLY BE IMPACTFUL, LIKE SCHINDLER’S LIST. SO, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE INGRAINED IN THE CULTURE HERE. BUT THE BUCCI SISTERS, WE REALLY HEARD AND IF YOU SAW ANDRE AT THE GROCERY STORE, YOU WOULD HAVE NO IDEA, RIGHT? BUT IF YOU GO TO ITALY, ANDRE AND TATIANA BUCCI ARE LIKE ROCK STARS. THEY HAVE A CARTOON THAT INTRODUCES YOUNG CHILDREN INTO THEIR STORY. WE BUMPED INTO THIS ONE GUY IN THE ROMAN GHETTO AND HE SAID, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? AND I STARTED TO TELL HIM A LITTLE BIT OF THE STORY AND HE STOPPED ME. HE SAID, EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT THE BUCCI SISTERS. SO SOME OF THAT IS BECAUSE IN ITALY, THE HOLOCAUST IS ACTUALLY TAUGHT FOR SEVEN YEARS IN SCHOOL. SO IT’S A BIG CONTRAST TO HOW IT’S TAUGHT IN THIS COUNTRY WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE DO LEARN IT IN SCHOOLS. MAYBE IN A MUCH SMALLER PART. BUT FOR A LOT OF US, IT IS THROUGH THE MOVIES OR THE BOOK THAT YOU JUST MENTIONED. WELL, WE LOOK FORWARD TO IT. AND WHILE YOU’RE HERE, I’VE JUST GOT TO ASK YOU REALLY QUICK. I MEAN, THIS, YOU KNOW, YOU DO THESE STORIES AND, YOU KNOW, YOU TRY TO, YOU KNOW, KIND OF HAVE A REMOVE FROM IT. BUT IT’S GOT TO AFFECT YOU. YOU KNOW, IT’S BEEN INTERESTING. WE’VE SPENT FIVE YEARS. WE NEVER INTENDED TO SPEND FIVE YEARS. WE SPENT INTENDED TO SPEND A COUPLE OF MONTHS. AND THEN THE PANDEMIC HAPPENED. SO EVERYTHING GOT PUT ON HOLD. SO FOR FIVE YEARS, HONESTLY, LIKE I THOUGHT ABOUT IT EVERY SINGLE DAY BECAUSE TIME WAS GOING ON, THEY WERE GETTING OLDER. WE’RE ALL GETTING OLDER AND YOU JUST WANTED TO GET THIS STORY DONE BECAUSE THEIR HOPE IS THAT WE CREATE THIS LEGACY PIECE NOT ONLY FOR THEIR FAMILY, BUT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN SHARE IN SCHOOLS. AND I’VE HAD A LOT OF TEACHERS FROM LOCAL SCHOOLS, HIGH SCHOOLS ALREADY REACH OUT AND SAY THAT THEY ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO INCORPORATING THIS INTO THEIR CURRICULUM, WHICH IS MORE THAN WE EVER COULD HAVE ASKED. SO I ENCOURAGE YOU TO WATCH IT. IT IS. YES. IT’S DIFFICULT AT TIMES, BUT IT’S ALSO EXTRAORDINARILY HOPEFUL AS WELL. AND THE BUCCI SISTERS ARE KIND OF CHARMING. SO I THINK YOU’LL ENJOY CELEBRITIES. THEY ARE ALL RIGHT. IT’S SO REMARKABLE. I LOOK FORWARD TO IT. DEIRDRE. THANK YOU. AND OUR DOCUMENTARY, A TALE OF FAMILY, HOPE, HUMOR AND TELLING YOUR STORY AS PART OF HISTORY. ALWAYS REMEMBER YOUR NAME AIRS THIS SUNDAY NIGHT. THAT’S AT 9:00 RIGHT AFTER SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL. WATCH IT RIGHT HER

American millennials, Gen Z lack basic Holocaust knowledge, survey shows

But most believe it is important to teach the Holocaust so it doesn't happen again

As the world prepares for the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp complex, the site of one of the world's largest examples of mass murder, the number of survivors has diminished greatly. So has the knowledge of the world's young people about what happened.The Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, a nonprofit organization with worldwide offices, secures compensation for Holocaust survivors around the world. It has done research on the knowledge people have of the Holocaust in all 50 states. The research focuses on millennials and those from Generation Z.Nationally, 36% of those surveyed thought that 2 million or fewer Jews were killed during the Holocaust. The actual number of Jews killed is more than 6 million. Millions of others were killed. The national survey also found that 48% couldn't name a single concentration camp, killing camp or ghetto, even though 40,000 of them existed across Europe during World War II.KCRA 3 spent five years following one of the world's youngest Holocaust survivors as she traveled around the world to tell her story. Born in Italy, Andra Bucci now lives in the Sacramento area and recently became a U.S. citizen. To her, telling the story over and over again is important in order to make sure that something like the Holocaust doesn't happen again. Her story is detailed in our documentary "Always Remember Your Name."Watch "Always Remember Your Name" here.Even with survivors like Bucci telling their stories, the lack of knowledge in California alone is striking:53% of California's Millennials and Gen-Zers did not know what Auschwitz was. The complex, which contained a large number of sub-camps, was home to Auschwitz and Birkenau. Birkenau was known as the "killing camp," and more than 1.1 million people died there, gassed by the Nazis and then cremated in a complex built specifically to eradicate the Jewish prisoners.37% cannot name a concentration camp or ghetto.59% didn't know that 6 million Jews were killed in the Holocaust.32% actually believe that the number killed is 2 million or less.13% believe that the Jews caused the Holocaust.47% have seen Holocaust denial or distortion on social media or elsewhere.60% have seen Nazi symbols in their community and/or on social media they have visited in the past 5 years.There is reason for hope. Seventy-six percent of those surveyed believe it is important to teach the Holocaust so it doesn't happen again. In Italy, where Bucci is from, they teach the Holocaust beginning in 5th grade and through high school. Noemi Di Segni, president of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities, said her organization helps train teachers and all public schools are encouraged to produce a project, especially by using art. Hundreds of thousands of students have participated in an annual contest over the past 20 years, she said. Winners of the competition take trips to Auschwitz and the Jewish ghetto in Kraków.In the U.S., there is no policy requiring teaching the Holocaust in schools on the national level.California has required Holocaust and genocide education to be taught in public schools since 1985, but there has been no systematic teacher training or standard curriculum. A law newly signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, Senate Bill 1277, aims to change that. It makes the Teachers Collaborative for Holocaust and Genocide Education an official state program. The group plans to train 8,500 teachers and serve more than 1 million students across grades 6-12 by 2027.In the meantime, some schools like Miwok Middle School in Sacramento, which KCRA 3 has visited as part of the documentary, have already been teaching about the Holocaust. There are states that had high scores of knowledge. Those include Wisconsin, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Maine, Kansas, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Idaho, Iowa and Montana.Those with the worst scores: Alaska, Delaware, Maryland, New York, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Florida, Mississippi, and Arkansas.See a full breakdown of the findings below. App users, CLICK HERE to see the visualization. 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

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —

The Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, a nonprofit organization with worldwide offices, secures compensation for Holocaust survivors around the world. It has done research on the knowledge people have of the Holocaust in all 50 states. The research focuses on millennials and those from Generation Z.

Nationally, 36% of those surveyed thought that 2 million or fewer Jews were killed during the Holocaust. The actual number of Jews killed is more than 6 million. Millions of others were killed.

The national survey also found that 48% couldn't name a single concentration camp, killing camp or ghetto, even though 40,000 of them existed across Europe during World War II.

KCRA 3 spent five years following one of the world's youngest Holocaust survivors as she traveled around the world to tell her story. Born in Italy, Andra Bucci now lives in the Sacramento area and recently became a U.S. citizen. To her, telling the story over and over again is important in order to make sure that something like the Holocaust doesn't happen again. Her story is detailed in our documentary "Always Remember Your Name."

Watch "Always Remember Your Name" here.

Even with survivors like Bucci telling their stories, the lack of knowledge in California alone is striking:

53% of California's Millennials and Gen-Zers did not know what Auschwitz was. The complex, which contained a large number of sub-camps, was home to Auschwitz and Birkenau. Birkenau was known as the "killing camp," and more than 1.1 million people died there, gassed by the Nazis and then cremated in a complex built specifically to eradicate the Jewish prisoners.
37% cannot name a concentration camp or ghetto.
59% didn't know that 6 million Jews were killed in the Holocaust.
32% actually believe that the number killed is 2 million or less.
13% believe that the Jews caused the Holocaust.
47% have seen Holocaust denial or distortion on social media or elsewhere.
60% have seen Nazi symbols in their community and/or on social media they have visited in the past 5 years.

There is reason for hope. Seventy-six percent of those surveyed believe it is important to teach the Holocaust so it doesn't happen again.

In Italy, where Bucci is from, they teach the Holocaust beginning in 5th grade and through high school.

Noemi Di Segni, president of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities, said her organization helps train teachers and all public schools are encouraged to produce a project, especially by using art. Hundreds of thousands of students have participated in an annual contest over the past 20 years, she said. Winners of the competition take trips to Auschwitz and the Jewish ghetto in Kraków.

Union of Italian Jewish Communities

Slideshow

16 photos

In the U.S., there is no policy requiring teaching the Holocaust in schools on the national level.

California has required Holocaust and genocide education to be taught in public schools since 1985, but there has been no systematic teacher training or standard curriculum.

A law newly signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, Senate Bill 1277, aims to change that. It makes the Teachers Collaborative for Holocaust and Genocide Education an official state program. The group plans to train 8,500 teachers and serve more than 1 million students across grades 6-12 by 2027.

In the meantime, some schools like Miwok Middle School in Sacramento, which KCRA 3 has visited as part of the documentary, have already been teaching about the Holocaust.

There are states that had high scores of knowledge. Those include Wisconsin, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Maine, Kansas, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Idaho, Iowa and Montana.

Those with the worst scores: Alaska, Delaware, Maryland, New York, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Florida, Mississippi, and Arkansas.

See a full breakdown of the findings below. App users, CLICK HERE to see the visualization.

American millennials, Gen Z lack basic Holocaust knowledge, survey shows

But most believe it is important to teach the Holocaust so it doesn't happen again

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PHOTOS: Italian students remember the Holocaust through art

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